anxiety management techniques

Whether you’re managing your own anxiety or want to help others manage theirs, our Certificate of Anxiety Management is a practical resource. Awareness is crucial to controlling the escalation of anxiety, and understanding anxiety management techniques will help alleviate this uncomfortable emotion.

If you work with people in a caring, teaching or counselling role, this course will give you the strategies to help clients manage their anxiety. You’ll also learn what constitutes normal anxiety and when to suspect an anxiety disorder. This professional development course will also give you the knowledge and skills to create an anxiety management plan for a client, patient or student in your care.

Learning Outcomes

You’ll discover many anxiety management techniques in this course, plus the following topics:

• The science of anxiety
• The Anxious brain
• Recognising anxiety symptoms
• Getting a diagnosis
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
• Trauma-related anxiety
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD
• Panic Disorder
• Finding support
• Conventional treatments
• Anxiety medications
• Exploring alternative treatments
• CBT
• What to expect in therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy (AAT)
• Art and music therapy
• Exposure therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Physical therapies
• Aromatherapy
• Complementary approaches
• Evidence-based treatment
• Meditation
• Emotional regulation
• The role of exercise
• Dietary considerations
• Building healthy habits

And more!

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone will experience at some point in their life. It’s only problematic when it becomes an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders negatively affect a person’s life as it interferes with social, professional, and educational experiences.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety manifests in many ways and is experienced differently by everyone. Understanding the different types of anxiety disorders and how to implement anxiety management techniques is an important tool for any professional. There are six major anxiety disorders, each with its own challenges and treatment options.

1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Feeling worried or anxious sometimes, like when preparing for an exam or job interview, is expected. The type of anxiety experienced during heightened stress can help people feel motivated and achieve goals.

So, anxiety can be positive by providing extra energy (mental or physical) to perform at our peak. However, it becomes problematic when this anxiety is experienced every day, even multiple times a day. The types of worry that interfere with life are intense and persistent and can wreak havoc on an individual’s work, family and social life.

Symptoms: excessive worry that work, study or socialising becomes challenging.

2. Panic Disorder

While many people may experience a panic attack once or twice in their lives, panic disorder is associated with recurrent and disabling attacks of anxiety (panic attacks) that come ‘out of the blue’ and are followed by a persistent worry that another will occur.

Symptoms: a sense of overwhelming panic or fear; feelings of dying, choking, losing control or going mad; increased heart rate; difficulty breathing (like there’s not enough air); excessive sweating; dizziness, light-headedness or feeling faint.

3. OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Individuals with OCD experience intrusive thoughts, obsessions and compulsions that have a profound negative impact on their lives. It is estimated that around two to three percent of Australians (more than 500,000 people) have OCD. The condition is characterised by recurrent and persistent thoughts, images, or intrusive or undesired impulses. People with OCD also perform repetitive behaviours that are excessive and time-consuming. While those with the condition are aware the thoughts and behaviour are irrational, they feel unable to control their obsessions.

Symptoms: repetitive thoughts/concerns not connected with genuine problems; repetitive behaviours; constant checking.

4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder is brought on by a traumatic event that threatens an individual’s life or feelings of safety. As a result, people feel a prolonged sense of fear and hopelessness even long after the event. Around 12 percent of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime, with serious accidents being the leading cause of the illness.

Symptoms:

• Being easily startled or frightened
• Always being on guard for danger
• Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
• Trouble sleeping
• Trouble concentrating
• Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behaviour
• Overwhelming guilt or shame

5. Social Anxiety Disorder

It’s normal to feel some social anxiety when in unfamiliar company or when in the spotlight. Many people will feel anxious about giving a speech at a wedding or presentation at work, but social phobia leads to intense, debilitating fear. People with a social anxiety disorder have a persistent fear of being judged, criticised, laughed at or embarrassed in the company of others.

Symptoms: excessive sweating, trembling, blushing, stammering, nausea or diarrhoea.

6. Phobia

A phobia is a fear of a specific situation, activity, animal or object that is irrational and extreme. While many people fear dangerous animals, like snakes, the response is rational if it poses a risk to safety. However, those with a phobia of a snake will avoid any areas where a snake may live and even looking at a photo of a snake causes extreme fear and anxiety. Specific phobias are often related to fear of having a panic attack, so avoidance behaviour is repeated.

Specific phobias are generally catorgorised into the following areas:

Animal – fear of snakes or dogs

Natural environment – fear of thunderstorms or heights

Situational – fear of driving or shopping centres

Medical/injury – fear of needles, blood or breaking bones

Other – fear of vomiting or choking

Symptoms: persistent, excessive and unreasonable fear of an object, activity or situation (dogs, flying, driving, heights); avoidance behaviour.

Children and Anxiety

Anxiety disorders affect one in 14 young people and children in Australia. So, while anxiety is normal and can affect anyone, including children, as parents, carers or professionals working with children, it’s helpful to understand anxiety disorders and to be able to incorporate anxiety management techniques.

Feel confident in managing anxiety, whether personally or professionally, through learning about anxiety management techniques and how to create an anxiety management plan. Enrol in Certificate of Anxiety Management today.